1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a sound source localization apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been proposed a sound source localization apparatus that performs sound source localization on the basis of the phase differences between sounds (sound waves) that are generated when the sounds arrive at a microphone array of microphones arrayed in the same plane (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-124749).
Such a sound source localization apparatus as that disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-124749 has the advantages of being simple in structure and high in installability.
However, such a conventional sound source localization apparatus as that disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-124749 is undesirably unable to distinguish between sound sources (a sound source at the front surface side and a sound source at the back surface side) that have symmetry with respect to the array plane of the microphone array, as the phase difference between sound waves from one of the sound sources is equal to the phase difference between sound waves from the other sound source. That is, under the influence of the sound source at the back surface side, which is not a detection target region, of the sound source localization apparatus, the conventional sound source localization apparatus may be unable to detect the sound source located in a space at the front surface side, which is a detection target region, of the sound source localization apparatus.